St. Blaise Mission

About St. Blaise Mission

St. Blaise Catholic Church is a mission church located in Spofford (historically Spofford Junction), Texas, in south-central Kinney County. The small town of Spofford is roughly 10 minutes south of Brackettville and 30 minutes north of Eagle Pass. The mission hosts Sunday Mass at 1:00 PM and is served by a priest and two deacons. St. Blaise Mission is administered by the Parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Clergy & Staff

The mission is served by a priest assigned to St. Blaise-Spofford and supported by two deacons. As a mission of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Brackettville, additional pastoral and administrative support comes from the parish office at 301 S. Ann St., Brackettville.

• Fr. James Ikeatuegwu — Priest (St. Blaise-Spofford)
• Deacon Lawrence
• Deacon Bader

History of St. Blaise Church

St. Blaise Catholic Church was founded in 1913, during the early-twentieth-century growth of the railroad town of Spofford Junction. By 1907 Spofford already had Methodist and Baptist churches, a blacksmith shop, barbershop, livery stable, and roughly 200 residents; a movie theater opened in 1912. The Catholic mission was established to serve the predominantly Hispanic ranching community. As Spofford peaked at 373 residents in the mid-1940s, St. Blaise remained a spiritual anchor; even after the town's decline into a near-ghost town in the decades that followed, the church has continued to hold services for more than a century.

• 1882 — Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad arrives; Spofford Junction founded.
• 1884 — Post office established in Spofford.
• 1896 — First school opens in Spofford (serving about 20 students).
• 1907 — Town includes blacksmith shop, barbershop, livery stable, and Methodist and Baptist churches.
• 1912 — Movie theater opens; telephone service reaches the community.
• 1913 — St. Blaise Catholic Church is founded.
• Mid-1940s — Spofford's population peaks at 373; town is officially incorporated in 1945.
• 1961 — Population drops to 138; only two businesses remain open.
• 1970s — Population falls to roughly 52–54; post office and most businesses close.
• Today — Southern Pacific/Union Pacific line still passes through, and St. Blaise Mission continues to celebrate Mass.

Patron Saint — St. Blaise

The mission is named for St. Blaise, an early Christian bishop of Sebaste in Armenia who was martyred under the Emperor Licinius around 316 AD. He is venerated as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and is the patron saint of those suffering from throat illnesses, of wool combers, and of wild animals. His feast day is celebrated on February 3 in the Western (Latin) Church and February 11 in the Eastern Churches. The traditional Blessing of St. Blaise, in which two candles are crossed over the throats of the faithful, is still widely given on his feast.

Parish Relationship — St. Mary Magdalene, Brackettville

St. Blaise Mission is administered by the Parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville, the seat of Kinney County. The parish office, which handles administration for both the main parish and St. Blaise Mission, is located at 301 S. Ann St., P.O. Box 95, Brackettville, TX 78832, and can be reached at (830) 563-2487. St. Mary Magdalene Parish itself was established in 1875, making it one of the older parishes serving the region.

• Parish Office: 301 S. Ann St., P.O. Box 95, Brackettville, TX 78832
• Phone: (830) 563-2487
• Website: http://www.stmmbrackettville.org/stblaise

Visiting Spofford

Spofford is located at the intersection of State Highway 131 and Farm Road 1572, about 10 miles south of Brackettville and roughly 30 miles north of Eagle Pass. Although the town is today a near-ghost town with no open businesses and a 2020 census population of about 41, several historic structures survive, including an old strap-iron jail, railroad bridges over Elm and Lindsey Creeks, the Spofford Cemetery, and St. Blaise Catholic Church itself. The Union Pacific line (formerly Southern Pacific) continues to carry freight — and historically Amtrak's Sunset Limited — through the community.

• 10 miles south of Brackettville
• 30 miles north of Eagle Pass
• Nearest Amtrak station: Del Rio (~30 miles)
• Historic landmarks: strap-iron jail, railroad bridges, Spofford Cemetery, St. Blaise Catholic Church

Contact

For information about Mass times, sacraments, or the mission community, contact the parish office of St. Mary Magdalene, which administers St. Blaise Mission.

• Phone: (830) 563-2487
• Mailing Address (Parish Office): 301 S. Ann St., P.O. Box 95, Brackettville, TX 78832
• Mission Address: Broadway & 2nd St., Spofford Junction, TX 78832
• Website: http://www.stmmbrackettville.org/stblaise